Meet The WGUK Judges

KELEIGH MOORE – Judges Co-ordinator
Captions: General Effect
Keleigh began her colourguard journey as a cadet with Southern Knights in the early 1990s. She went on to perform with the organisation throughout both the Summer and Winter seasons, taking on roles as a guard member and drum major. Her passion for teaching emerged while assisting the Southern Knights Cadets staff team, a passion that later led her to pursue a degree in Primary Education. Throughout her teaching career, she has continued to share her love of performance by creating and directing numerous school productions. She is now an Assistant Principal in a Primary School.

Based in Northampton, Keleigh joined Liberty Guard during their formative seasons, inspiring performers to challenge themselves and progress into competitive Winter programmes both within Liberty and across the activity. Reigniting her personal love for performing, she returned to the field in 2014 with Kidsgrove Scouts Summer after becoming a Winterguard judge in 2013 within the GE caption. She performed with Kidsgrove Scouts through to 2019, including two Drum Corps Associates (DCA) tours, and supported their Cadet Winter programme for two seasons. In addition, she contributed to the Beeches Junior Winter staff team for a season—where her daughter marched her first Winter—and assisted Beeches Summer staff for their final two outdoor seasons.

Keleigh is a proud member of UK Pride Colourguard and has performed with the group for the past three years.

In 2025, she began her first season as Judges’ Coordinator and has played an active role in the training and development of judges and staff, particularly in the area of child development—a personal passion. She is excited for the season ahead and looks forward to working alongside both new and experienced judges, always considering herself a dedicated and enthusiastic Winterguard supporter.

IVAN BALCHIN
Caption –  Design Analysis
Ivan started judging at his first contest back in May 1981, and although being quite nervous at the time, and thinking his judging study and preparation commentary might freeze up, the assessment words just seemed to flow, and he hasn’t looked back since.

In the 45 plus years that he has been involved with judging, he has adjudicated on all Visual and Effect related captions for both the Drum Corps and Winterguard circuits, as well as holding various officiated roles in the DCUK fraternity, such as Judges Chairman, Visual Caption Head and Winterguard Judges Coordinator for many of those years since 1981. His judges involvement has also led to judging assignments in USA, European Mainland and Ireland.

Prior to judging, Ivan marched snare drum with the 2nd Brighton Scouts from 1969 thru to 1978, after which he became their Visual show designer, as well as Guard Rifle instructor with the same Scout unit until 1981. Since that time he has more or less been judging full-time, although in 1989 he was part of the Southern Knights Senior Corps Visual Design staff that toured USA and entered Drum Corps Associates (DCA) Championships in 1990.

Ivan has always said, the day he stops enjoying adjudication and looking to pass on his constructive help and input to the competing units, along with a continuing passion to expand his judging knowledge and skills, will be the day he stops judging, so far that remains out of sight, and his judging journey continues.

TAYLOR CARTLIDGE
Caption – Equipment
Taylor has been involved in winter guard since she was 4 years old. She is from Bristol and spent the first 10 years with different groups in Bristol before venturing across the country for the rest of her time. She also started in Drum Corps United Kingdom (DCUK) aged 11 and did consecutive summer/winter seasons for 8 years.

Taylor has taught and written for a couple of different groups in the last few years right up to 2020. She does miss spinning, which was halted for her due to some personal health struggles, so see felt her next step naturally fell to judging! Being a new judge in 2025 was exciting and gave her great perspective and she is looking forward to progressing further during the 2026 season and beyond!

BARRY DAVIS
Caption – General Effect
Barry first joined Mayflower Winterguard in 2006, following many years in the drum corps activity, which began in 1985 as a marching member of Mayflower Drum Corps.

Over the years, he performed within the competitive circuits of Drum Corps United Kingdom (DCUK), British Drum Corps Federation (BDCF) and British Youth Band Association (BYBA) with both Mayflower and the Blue Eagles. This experience naturally progressed into instructional positions, beginning in 1997 with Encore. From 1999 to 2001, he was appointed as Visual Designer and Caption Head, during which time the ensemble advanced from the ‘A’ Class to Open Class. In 2002, he joined the staff team at the Senators Drum Corps, where he enjoyed six highly successful seasons.

Barry returned to Mayflower Winterguard in 2006 and, in 2008, was honoured to be appointed Director of Mayflower Open Guard. Under this ongoing tenure, Mayflower has represented both the UK and Europe at the highest levels of our activity, competing at the Winter Guard International (WGI) World Championships and performing across the Netherlands, Ireland and France.

Alongside his Mayflower responsibilities, he is a WGUK and Color Guard Netherlands (CGN) accredited judge, which has afforded him the privilege of adjudicating across Europe and gaining valuable insight into the continued development of the activity in France, the Netherlands, Germany and Ireland. He was nominated to join the WGUK Board at the 2012 Finals, becoming Deputy in 2013, and returning to the Board in 2017. Barry remains committed to my Board duties, which I regard with the utmost seriousness.

During the pandemic, he was part of the WGUK Education Team, supporting member engagement, developing educational resources and delivering live webinars. Barry is now WGUK Deputy Chair, a position of responsibility to the WGUK membership, and one he embraces wholeheartedly to help guide and strengthen the future development of our creative and inspiring youth activity

SARAH EDMONDSON
Caption – Movement
Sarah has over 40 years of dance experience – studying, performing and teaching. Specialising in Contemporary and Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) ballet. She has also studied and taken exams in other genres including Jazz and Modern.

Over the last 10 years Sarah has enjoyed working as a movement coach with Commodores, using her experience and knowledge to develop basic programs that complement and develop colour guard skills and techniques. She is now excited to expand her experience as a WGUK judge.

SAMMI GANNAWAY-PITTS
Caption – Equipment
Sammi judges the Equipment caption for WGUK and has been judging on and off since 2012.

Sammi have marched with a number of organisations within the marching arts activity. Starting in 1998 with Stateside Drum and Bugle Corps. Moving to 37th Kingswood in 2001 through to 2008 where she took on my first staff role. Then moving to Senators in 2009 before marching her Drum Corps International (DCI) age out with Colts in 2010. After DCI she went onto staff at Poynton Commodores for 2 years before taking a break from Drum Corps. Sammi then returned to the activity in 2017 and joined Kidsgrove Scouts up until 2020 when COVID hit and changed all plans.

Sammi’s first marching Winterguard season was 2004 with Pride of Bristol. She has also marched with Vintage Winterguard, NAPA and Kidsgrove Scouts plus was on staff with MMI in 2024.

Outside of Winterguard she keeps myself busy running her own pet care business.

DEREK GIPSON
Captions: General Effect
Derek Gipson began judging General Effect for WGUK in 2016 after moving to this country from the United States the previous year.  Prior to that, Derek was recruited and trained by Winter Guard International (WGI) Hall of Famer Fred Feeney to judge winter guard for local circuits such as the Louisiana and Mississippi Color Guard and Percussion Circuit and the Mississippi Indoor Association and others in the Southeast region of the USA.

Elsewhere in the pageantry world, Derek will be entering his 15th year as either the brass caption head or the brass caption supervisor for the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps. Before that he has been on the brass staff for the Blue Knights, Santa Clara Vanguard, Capital Regiment, The Cadets, and Carolina Crown. Derek lives with his wife, Emma and two children Amelia and William in the village of Fair Oak in Eastleigh in Hampshire.

RICHARD GUBBY
Caption – Equipment, Movement
Richard started his colourguard performing career in 2001, and performed with multiple Drum Corps and Winterguard units, including one season of Drum Corps International (DCI) in 2007, four Drum Corps Associates (DCA) tours through the 2010s, and two Winter Guard International (WGI) Championships in 2016 and 2019.

As a teacher and choreographer, Richard has worked with multiple groups throughout the UK and Europe, including with the Kidsgrove Scouts, Triuggio Colourguard, and most recently with Beeches Drum Corps and MMI Winterguard.

He has been an Equipment judge since 2014, and has judged for the WGUK and (Color Guard Netherlands (CGN) circuits. This year, he has taken on the role of the Equipment and Movement Caption Head for WGUK, working with the other fantastic judges in these captions.

PHIL HARGREAVES
Caption – Design Analysis
Phil Hargreaves has been involved in Drum Corps and Winter Guard activity jointly for over 19 years. After winning Bronze, Silver and Gold from 2010 – 2012, Phil went on to be a guest teacher where the units he worked with won A Class and Open Class championships.

Phil’s passion for creativity extends beyond his time at Drum Corps and Winter Guard and has resulted in an award-winning career in the culture sector. Supporting some of the UK’s prominent dance companies including Joss Arnott Dance, Phoenix Dance Theatre and 2Faced Dance Company. Alongside this Phil has worked for leading organisations such as Déda, Festé, Bradford Council on their bid for UK City of Culture and the flagship festival programmes BD:Festival and BD:IsLiT. Phil is currently the Director for Freedom Festival Arts Trust (FFAT), one of the largest festivals of art & performance in public space in UK.

Phil joined the WGUK judging panel in 2025 as a Design Analysis judge.

PETER LIPPIATT
Caption – General Effect
With a long history in the world of marching and performing arts, Peter has been an active participant across a variety of organisations. Having marched with groups such as Kenilworth Corps d’Elite, 1st Tewkesbury BB, and Phantom Knights, he has developed a deep passion for the activity.

Beyond performing, his expertise and commitment have led to holding staff and key leadership roles, at organisations like Phantom Knights, The Academy, Kidsgrove Scouts, and Beeches Performance Ensemble. He has also provided guidance and assistance to East Coast Elite. Helping to drive the continued success of all these organisations.

Since 2012, Peter has served as an active WGUK and Color Guard Netherlands (CGN) General Effect Judge, and from 2018 to 2024, contributed as both Judges Coordinator and Board Member for WGUK, helping to uphold and advance the standards within the judging community.

Peter continues to be an active General Effect Judge alongside the role of Caption Supervisor. He is also looking forward to completing his training to become a Design Analysis Judge during the 2026 Season.

ROB SWINDELLS
Caption – Design Analysis

Rob was very much born into this activity, and first marched on an e flat trumpet in 1979 with the Kidsgrove Scout & Guide Band. He became visual designer for the Kidsgrove Scouts in 1990 and had many roles including corps coordinator and Corps Director for many years, with the Kidsgrove Scouts.

His Winterguard journey started in 1996 when he taught and designed with Liberty Colour guard, from this he became Guard Director and designer for the Kidsgrove Scouts Winterguard from 2000. Over the years Rob has helped and designed for several winterguards including Avengers, Commodores and Sunrisers.

He first judged winterguard in 2012 on the Design Analysis Caption and has judged for many years since in all classes. He is very proud to have been inducted into both the DCUK & WGUK Hall of Fame.

KAREN WALSH
Caption – Movement
Marching:
Winter Guard 1994-2011
Drum Corps (Colour Guard) 2005, 2006, 2009

Teaching:
Black Knights Colour Guard Caption Head 2008
Southern Knights Open staff 2011-13
Southern Knights Rugrats staff 2014
Southern Knights Rugrats Director 2015-16

Judging:
Movement – trainee 2024
Movement – 2025